Hello,

I have a built H23 in my 93 Honda Prelude Si with a turbo set up. XS Engineering was tuning it when they stopped because they said that the coolant was spilling out like crazy from the radiator cap. They said it may be 3 things: First, the sleeves could of dropped...can that happen? Second, the head gasket is toasted...but its a metal head gasket. Third, the deck height maybe uneven. I need some major help. I don't know what to do...I spent so much money on this car and I'm so mad. I thought I did everything right. I have a redline series JG head, JE 9:1 Piston, Crower Rods, Dartons Sleeves, and the crank is mircopolished. I have a T4/T3 with a B trim and a drag manifold, I also have the AEM EMS and the AEM Uego Kit. When I boost or just even drive the top coolant hose gets really really STIFF. Today I drove 30 miles and when I was at a light my car overheated and I mean it went to the red zone. Please...any help would be great. Thanks.


Joe

 

well since you have a JG head I would assume that it's new and has been surfaced. The block maybe warped but a good machine shop should deck it and it should be strait. I think that decking maybe necessary after a sleeve install but I'm not sure I'm not a machinist. I would pull the head and start checking, either way you will have to pull it off sooner or later. Also, don't drive the car when it's over heating and post what the tunner was doing (psi#'s and fuel system....).

 

try retorquing the head. see if any head bolts are loose. if not you probably dropped a sleeve. either way your gonna need to get the block deck checked.

 

look for oil in the radiator or ooverflow resevoir. Also look for some mayonaise like substance on the oil cap...these are signs of a blown head gasket or possibly bad sleeves

 

Hey Guys,

I checked the head studs and its tight. The radiator resovoir and the radiator has no oil. The oil cap is normal. Do you guys really think it could be a sleeve that has been dropped? Or would it be more likely be the a bad resurface job? Thanks guys.


Joe

 

Either way it sounds like the head is going to have to come off.

 

I'm dropping off the car tomorrow...but I'm just wondering if it really could be a sleeve that dropped. Is that possible? I took it to a really reputable company. SO PISSED!!! Thanks.

 

I think I am haveing the same problem because my car does not over heat but the water in the radiator build pressure in to the catch can of the side of the radiator and over flows. I can run one good time then I have to put water in the radiator because it empty.. Mechanic tould me the head has to come off and check the sleeves and the head gasket. Sorry to hear about yours.

 

how much boost did u get up to before it started over spilling?

 

Sorry to hear that turboJody....Turbodandee...it was boosting 9 psi and then when they turned up the boost it started to do that. When XS Engineering first put it on the dyno to make it streetablility it was fine until they started to fine tune it. Well I hope to GOD its not the sleeves...hope all I have to do is re deck the motor. I will let you guys know what is up. Thanks.

 

I am boosting 1.00 bar with a Sc63 at 409hp!! On the dyno of course!!

 

Heads got to come off no matter what...

I would remove the head, check to see if the sleeves and deck are true... if they are, it was probably as simple as bad head bolts or that they stretched, were not torqued properly.. or that the headgasket simply let go.

I've seen a few cars blowing out coolant on the dyno between the block and head, but this was usually on car boosting over 20psi...

Good luck with your resolution.

- Louis

 

what kind of gasket were you using and also does your block use o rings?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by turboJody &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I think I am haveing the same problem because my car does not over heat but the water in the radiator build pressure in to the catch can of the side of the radiator and over flows. I can run one good time then I have to put water in the radiator because it empty.. Mechanic tould me the head has to come off and check the sleeves and the head gasket. Sorry to hear about yours. </TD></TR></TABLE>


don't use water. water boils/steams/evaporates. causes the temp to rise and sometimes over heat. pressure test the cooling system or empty the radiator and block and refill it with the proper anti-freeze/water level.

i had the same problem becuz i didn't have coolant in my garage so i used water.

 

my friends car would send coolant into the overflow can under boost too. turns out the sleeves dropped .008. he could drive the car and everything would be normal but as soon as he started to boost it would overflow. you most likely dropped a sleeve. head gaskets don't go unless there is a major problem in the sleeve work or improper install.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by r1racer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hello,

I have a built H23 in my 93 Honda Prelude Si with a turbo set up. XS Engineering was tuning it when they stopped because they said that the coolant was spilling out like crazy from the radiator cap. They said it may be 3 things: First, the sleeves could of dropped...can that happen? Second, the head gasket is toasted...but its a metal head gasket. Third, the deck height maybe uneven. I need some major help. I don't know what to do...I spent so much money on this car and I'm so mad. I thought I did everything right. I have a redline series JG head, JE 9:1 Piston, Crower Rods, Dartons Sleeves, and the crank is mircopolished. I have a T4/T3 with a B trim and a drag manifold, I also have the AEM EMS and the AEM Uego Kit. When I boost or just even drive the top coolant hose gets really really STIFF. Today I drove 30 miles and when I was at a light my car overheated and I mean it went to the red zone. Please...any help would be great. Thanks.

Joe
</TD></TR></TABLE>


check your compression before anything. it could give you an idea of what is wrong. at least you'll know which cylinder is bad.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ninesecteg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">my friends car would send coolant into the overflow can under boost too. turns out the sleeves dropped .008. he could drive the car and everything would be normal but as soon as he started to boost it would overflow. you most likely dropped a sleeve. head gaskets don't go unless there is a major problem in the sleeve work or improper install. </TD></TR></TABLE>

would that car overheat? what sleeves was he using... sounds like a dillema im having with my GE

 

Who did the Darton sleeve install? JG? What brand of head gasket is it? What do you mean by metal gasket?

 

Thanks all for your support and help. I am currently using a OEM head gasket...its a metal head gasket. Dynamic Autosports in CA sent it out to someone in the Valley or something like that to get my sleeves put in. He said he NEVER had a sleeve drop on him with this company, but it could be his first I guess. But I'll let everyone know what is up when I drop off the car tomorrow. Wish me luck. Thanks again.

 

yeah the car overheated cuz all the coolant was blown out. they were open deck darton sleeves installed by a local machine shop.

 

I bet a dollar that it's the head gasket.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by r1racer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Dynamic Autosports in CA sent it out to someone in the Valley or something like that to get my sleeves put in. He said he NEVER had a sleeve drop on him with this company, but it could be his first I guess.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Haha, not someone in the valley but Valley Machine in Fountain Valley. I would not trust them to install a cigarette lighter. Look to your sleeves to have dropped.

 

[sarcasm]It's not a dropped sleeve. Only Golden Eagle can drop sleeves. With other sleeves it's impossible.[/sarcasm]

 

what kind of gasket were you using and also does your block use o rings?
_______

I use a stock head gasket and that I know of no o rings use..

 

DAMN!!! I didn't want to hear that!!! Oh well...we'll see tomorrow when I drop it off. I though Valley was a good place...at least that's what they told me. They don't send anything to RS Motorworks now because they said they do a bad job. I'm using a OEM Metal head gasket.